


A Shadow of Doubt

by Introvertia



Series: 13 Days of Halloween [8]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 13 Days of Halloween, Angst with a Happy Ending, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington in Love, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Established Relationship, Gay Billy Hargrove, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, October Atmosphere, Prompt Fic, Recreational Drug Use, Relationships Are Hard For Dumb Boys, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:34:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27222058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertia/pseuds/Introvertia
Summary: Billy and Steve's relationship is just getting cozy when Billy becomes convinced that Steve's hooked up with one of his coworkers.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: 13 Days of Halloween [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995811
Comments: 8
Kudos: 117





	A Shadow of Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> This short fic was inspired by the charming Gothyringwald's 13 Days of Halloween prompt list.
> 
> Prompt 8: Shadows
> 
> This is the 8th of 13 stories that I will be posting between the 19th and the 31st of October. They can be read independently or in order. Please check the tags of each story as the content will vary.

October 26th, 1986

**Part 1**

**The Rival**

Steve was eating his favorite kind of cookies, they were sugar cookies with marzipan and finely ground almonds, buttery and crispy edgeds decorated with technicolor icing. He had finished his jack-o-lantern and had just bitten into a yellow C-moon when Billy sat down beside him.

“Hey.” Steve said happily around his mouthful of cookie. He chewed and swallowed. “I didn’t know you were coming by.”

“You really love those cookies.” Billy shook his head and then lit a cigarette, “I took my break late.” Billy explained, he had his apron rolled up and rested it on his knee, the embroidered pink stitched lettering across the bib of it read, _Bountiful Baker_.

“Did you bring me anymore cookies?” Steve asked.

“No, you addict.” Billy shook his head.

“Well I’m still glad you came.” Steve said playfully.

“Why’s it so cold.” Billy said as he pulled his ball cap low. Billy’s baseball cap was practically a part of him these days. Steve never saw him in public without it. Not that Billy spent much time out in public,which made it feel all the more special that he’d come by on Steve’s lunch break.

Billy hated being looked at since he’d returned to Hawkins after dying (and coming back to life) during _the incident of 85_ (referring to it as _the incident of 85_ was much easier than saying the July 1985 interdimensional corpse monster, possession and abduction-attack with a side of Russians). Some people who knew he’d been listed as one of the fatalities at the mall, wanted to ask him questions about what really happened, others looked at him like he was a ghost, others still looked at him like he was a demon and the absolute worst were the ones that just looked haunted, not by him, per say but because seeing one of the few survivors reminded them of those they’d lost. Many people were still just listed as Missing. Family members still doggedly put up fliers and often times Billy would recognize the people’s faces, the faces of people he’d recruited for the Shadow, the Mind Flayer.

Billy had taken a calculated risk coming to see Steve on his lunch break, but it was worth it, he missed him. He was the only person that made Billy feel happy, and safe even. Seeing Steve perched on the employee lunch table and benches beside his work, the Shawnee Hardware Store and Lumber Yard, was the highlight of Billy’s afternoon. He was thankful it was just a half a block away from the Bountiful Bakery where Billy ran the ovens between five in the morning and half past one in the afternoon, five days a week.

“I think it’s gonna snow soon.” Steve said and shifted closer to Billy so they were lined up like birds on a wire, hip to hip. He wanted to throw his arm around Billy, but was worried they might be seen. “Are you doing okay? Any bad dreams or asshole owls?”

Billy shook his head, “No bad dreams, and I’m not worried about owls swooping down on me anymore. I think I might have been too close to its nest or something. I kind of like hearing them at night now.”

Steve nodded. Billy had never explained the details of the nightmare that had made him scream aloud in the dead of the night scarring Steve literally out of the bed. Earlier that same day Billy had seemed to be under attack or at the very least, aggressive surveillance by the local nocturnal fowl.

“Maybe I’ll get an owl tattoo and they’ll leave me alone.” Billy said with a dry chuckle.

Steve considered asking Billy about the nightmare, but thought better of it.He really had to pick and choose his battles carefully. Getting Billy to open up about things was labor intensive and often led to them arguing, and although they hadn’t had any serious fights, Steve wanted to keep it that way. They’d been dating less than a month after all, why push Billy’s buttons?

“Why are you so quiet?” Billy asked out of the blue.

“Am I being quiet?” Steve turned and looked at Billy with a curious expression, “Guess I was just thinking.”

“Bout what?” Billy took a drag on his cigarette eyeing Steve suspiciously.

“Us,” Steve smiled, “How we haven’t,”

The side door of the Shawnee Hardware store opened up and Steve cut himself off, out stepped a guy Billy had never seen before, he instantly reminded Billy of the bully Ace Merrill in the movie Stand By me. His hair was bleach blonde and styled like a Rock-a-Billy’s, a look Billy hadn’t seen in Hawkin’s before, there’d been a few around San Diego.

“Hey Steve.”

The guy actually winked at Steve, Billy clenched his jaw watching him approach, he was too self absorbed to see he and Steve were in the middle of a private conversation.

“Hi Danny.” Steve nodded in greeting and said to Billy, “Billy, this is Danny.”

“Hey Danny Fischer, nice to meet you.” Danny stepped forward and offered his hand.

Billy looked at Danny’s hand and took a long drag off his cigarette, stepped off the bench and turned to Steve and said “See you later.”

“He’s not really a people person.”

Billy heard Steve say as he walked away. Billy wondered what Steve had been about to tell him. Steve had been thinking about them, and how they hadn’t, what?

Billy heard Steve laugh. He looked back over his shoulder, Danny was laughing too, he had his hand rested on Steve’s shoulder. Steve didn’t seem to mind, or maybe he just didn’t notice. Billy went back to work to finish his day at the bakery, but his mind was on what it was Steve was about to tell him, and why the hell Danny so handsy.

The late afternoons at the bakery usually consisted of prepping dough that would be left to proof overnight. Billy rolled and punched the dough. His mind on fire, what the hell had Steve been about to say, he’d said he’d been thinking about them, and how they hadn’t , something… hadn’t what? Billy tossed the perfectly round ball of dough onto the tray where it would later be covered and left to rise.

“What, we haven’t what?” Billy grabbed a fresh glob of dough, and slapped it on the table sending up a white poof of flour, and began kneading and punching it. “We haven’t…” Billy, rolled the dough vigorously, “Fuck? We haven’t _fucked_ … is that what he was about to say?”

The back door swung opened and Mrs Donahue walked in, her hair was braided and pinned up like a crown across her head, not for the first time Billy thought she looked like an extra from the TV show Little House on the Prairie.

“Billy, why are working so late?”

Billy looked at the clock and saw that it was already Two, he’d been finished half an hour ago. He took the dough he’d beaten into shape and put it on the tray next to eleven other perfect little pale spheres.

“Lost track of time.” Billy said.

“Oh, I do that too, well you go clock out now and enjoy the rest of your day. You’ve earned it.” Mrs Donahue looked at the dough he had prepped and nodded with approval, “I don’t know how we got anything done on time before you came along.”

Billy pulled off his apron and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, “Thanks,”he murmured. He knew she was being sincere, but there was a part of himself that always got anxious when he was praised for a job well done, he kept waiting for a but, or a try harder, or a sarcastic little sneer. Billy’s therapist would tell him that was his inner Shadow talking.

While Billy walked home he couldn’t stop thinking about Steve and Danny. He was convinced that that shit-bird Danny Fischer, with his bleached blonde hair and his suede creeper shoes, was as gay as the day is long, and, he had a hard-on for Steve. What gay man wouldn’t?

Billy wondered if Steve was into him at all. Steve had never mentioned him, which either meant he didn’t care about him, didn’t think about him, or was kind of into him and didn’t want Billy to know about it… Steve never talked about anyone at work, with the exception of Benji, Benji the carpenter, who frequented the yard weekly. Steve said Benji was nice, and had mentioned wanting to take on an apprentice in the new year. Steve was kind of hoping to fill that position, because his job at Shawnee was seasonal, and the work would dry up right after December twenty-fourth.

Billy went up the creaking staircase to his apartment above a shambling two car garage. He opened the door and wished not for the first time that he had a dog, or a cat. He wasn’t used to living alone. He loved it when Steve spent the night, not that he’d told him that. Now he was thinking maybe he should. Billy moved around his studio apartment, restlessly organizing things, not that there was much to organize. He was still obsessing over what Steve had been about to tell him. Was he really going to bring up the fact that they hadn’t fucked? Billy had given him a hand job, once, and they made out and felt each other up often but, Billy hated his scars, he didn’t want Steve to see or touch them. So his clothes stayed on. Always.

Billy had a feeling Steve wasn’t a cheater, he just didn’t seem like the type, he was all… moon eyed. Billy looked around his apartment, it was clean enough. He grabbed his jacket and decided he’d go meet Steve when he got off work. Steve had mentioned that he was going home after work, but that didn’t mean Billy couldn’t change his mind.

**Part 2**

**Nice Try, But No Dice**

Steve punched out and dropped his time card in its slot, he hummed softly as he pulled on his jacket and stepped out into the parking lot behind Shawnee Hardware and Lumber Yard. He took a deep long breath of chilled October air. There were about two hours of golden daylight left and normally he’d be disappointed to have spent the day working, as they were growing shorter and shorter, but in that particular moment he was just glad it would be dark enough to go to sleep early. This job was a hell of a lot more physically demanding than Scoops Ahoy or Family Video had ever been.

“Hey Steve.”

Steve turned around and saw Danny trotting out the back door, “Oh hey, have a good night man.” Steve gave Danny a little salute.

“Uh, I hate to be a pain in the ass, but can you give me a lift home?” Danny tilted his head, a smile arching his pale blue eyes. “I could give you two bucks for gas.”

“Where do you live?” Steve sighed inwardly, he’d been looking forward to his short drive home and his soft bed, he loved sleeping at Billy’s but the pullout bed was the most uncomfortable thing he’d ever slept on, and that included the ground.

“Do you know the Becker farm?”

“Yeah, we get our Christmas trees from there, like every year.” Steve nodded.

“That’s where I’m staying, my cousins own the farm.” Danny smiled.

“C’mon, I’ll give you a lift.” Steve got in his car, it was clear across the other side of town, but Steve thought, that if he was Danny he sure as hell wouldn’t want to walk there either. Steve started the car, and turned on the stereo while Danny got in. The Stray Cats’ song ‘Sexy and Seven-teen’ was midway through playing on a mix tape he’d made a year ago.

“Do you like the Stray Cats?” Danny asked with a grin.

“Yeah, a few of their songs, I mean, they’ve got that cool kind of old rock and roll sound going for them.” Steve wondered if he was about to get teased for his taste in music, not that he wasn’t used to it.

“I saw them in ’84, in Nashville. It was so rad, such a great set. I’m from Memphis.” Danny was turned in his seat facing Steve.

“Tennessee, huh. Must have been a good show, they’ve been around for a while now.” Steve released the parking break, he could feel Danny’s pale eyes on him. Steve glanced at him, his blonde eyelashes were nearly translucent in the sunlight.

“I’ve never seen them live, I can’t remember the last big show I went to.” Steve was about to reverse out of his parking spot when a delivery truck drove into the lot, blocking his exit. “Oh shit, so uncool.” Steve frowned watching the truck slowly backing up to the loading dock and then pull forward because they were crooked and then reverse again. “You’d think this guy had never put a truck in reverse in his life, it’s like he got his license out of a Cracker-Jack box.”

“I’m not in a rush.” Danny said.

“Good thing.” Steve said in a resigned tone as he watched the driver struggling to get his trailer lined up in the narrow loading dock space. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel waiting for his opportunity to squeeze past the truck and get on his way.

“I don’t mind killing some time with you.” Danny said, his voice low and husky.

Steve felt Danny’s hand snake up the inside of his right thigh and stop over over his dick, his hand was so hot and his grip was so firm it felt like Steve wasn’t wearing jeans.

Steve dropped his hand on Danny’s wrist and grasped it tightly. He cleared his throat and looked Danny in the eyes. “It’s not gonna happen. Okay?” He pulled Danny’s hand off and dropped it on Danny’s lap like it was a living thing that might spring to life and attack again of its own accord.

“Suit yourself.” Danny shrugged and smiled, he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit, “Mind if I smoke?”

“No.” Steve suddenly felt irritated, Danny had lit up and then asked permission, that was something Billy could pull off in a heart beat because he had charm, and was his boyfriend, but Danny doing it felt insulting. Steve reversed his car, stopping inches from hitting the truck that was still angling into its spot behind them and then squeezed out of the narrow drive way into the parking lot, his back right tire bouncing hard because he’d gone off the curb.

“I thought I read you right, I guess not. No hard feelings?” Danny lowered the window.

Steve glanced over at Danny he looked cool and collected but Steve knew he must be sweating it on the inside, it had been one hell of a gamble. “Listen, I’m not going to say anything to anyone, but just be careful, okay? A lot of people around here, let’s just say they would not take that kind of attention very well.”

“Yeah I figured, people have the same attitude in Memphis.” Danny muttered.

**Part 3**

**A Quiet Night In**

Steve pulled up in his driveway, the last of the daylight painted long shadows across his yard. The house lights were on, his mother had put out her electric Jack-o-lanterns by the front door in preparation for Halloween. Fall leaves were scattered across the front lawn. Steve really hoped his father hadn’t left a note on his bedroom door telling him to rake them up. Every now and then a chore list would appear taped to his bedroom door, it seemed to be his father’s preferred way of communicating. “I’m just going to have a quiet night in.” Steve mutter as he got out of his car.

When Steve got to his bedroom door he was happy to find it free of notes, he went in and sat on his bed and grabbed the phone and dialed Billy’s number, he wanted to tell him about what happened with Danny, but wondered if Billy might get pissed off, or even threaten the guy, or just laugh? Steve was still deciding as he listened to the phone ring over and over, when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door.

“Coming.” Steve hung up the phone giving up on Billy and opened the door. His mother was standing there with her arms folded.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she reached over and squeezed his arms,“I made lasagna, come downstairs and have dinner with your father and me.”

“Sounds good mom,” Steve peeled off his jacket, he was in fact ravenous, he’d been so distracted he hadn’t even noticed it.

“Steve, I’ve noticed you’ve been spending nights away from the house lately.Do you have a new girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend? No, no mom. Just hanging out with the guys.” Steve smiled at her, feeling himself go red, “Lasagna huh?” He gestured at the doorway stepping out of his room and heading towards the stairs.

He heard his mother sigh dramatically, she was walking right behind him, practically chasing him down the stairs, “I know you’re practically a grown man Steve. You’re not much younger than your father was when he met me. Just don’t go getting any girls in trouble.”

Steve stopped at the base of the stairs and turned facing her, “Hand to god mom, I’m not going to get a girl knocked up.”

She paused and nodded slowly but was giving him a rather dubious look, “Go wash your hands and sit down, I need to pry your father away from the TV.”

“Yes ma’am.” Steve replied.

********

Dinner was tedious. Steve mentioned to his father that he might try and get a paid apprenticeship position with a carpenter in January and that went over like a lead ballon. His father looked at him and shook his head and said “A carpenter?” Steve might as well as said he was going to become a professional ditch digger.“Yes, a carpenter.” Steve said and served himself more salad and ate in silence after that.

His mother in an attempt to lighten the mood suggested they all watch a movie after dinner. “We can have a family movie night, I can make popcorn, won’t that be fun?”

“I’m really tired mom.” Steve said setting his utensils on his plate.

“Imagine being a carpenter.” His father said, “You’d work till your bones gave out, and then what?”

Steve almost said it would be better than shriveling up behind a desk, but held his tongue.

“Well, just think about it dear.” His mother said in her singsong way, “You can put on your pajamas, it’ll be like when you were little and we’ll all have a nice time. We can watch An American In Paris, I have it on video.”

“I know mom, I gave it to you last Christmas.” Steve took his plate to the sink regretting not spending the night at Billy’s. His mother was talking in the way she did when she wanted to pretend everything was just peachy. It grated on his nerves as much as his father’s reaction to the thought of Steve becoming a carpenter.

“I was thinking of making brownies tomorrow, you could take some to work and share them with your coworkers.” She said walking into the kitchen.

“It’s okay mom, the guys always bring stuff in, most of them are married, and their wives bake us lots of sweets. Really, don’t bother. I’m going up to my room.” He knew she was trying to make him feel better or whatever, but the futility of her efforts was painful to him.

“Well if you change your mind the movie starts in fifteen minutes!” She said as she set some dishes in the sink.

“Steve, take the trash out!” His father bellowed from the living room.

“Oh honey, I hate it when you yell.” Steve heard his mother saying.

“I wasn’t yelling.” His father griped.

**Part 4**

**Shadowboxing**

Steve collected the trash from around the house, and tossed it all into one large bag and hauled it out to the back yard slung over his shoulder like the world’s worst sack of toys. He walked over to the garbage can against the side of the house and tossed the bag in, and put the lid on top pressing it snuggly down.

“Not tonight raccoons.” Steve said.

There was no way in hell he was going to spend his morning picking up garbage because raccoons had gutted the trashcan again. Steve wiped his hands on his jeans and paused because he heard a noise. He looked beyond the pool and peered into the copse of trees just beyond the property. It was so dark the trees looked composed of shadows more then actual wood. Steve squinted and strained his eyes trying to see. The pool lights were off so it was very dark. Steve looked up at the sky, a quarter of the waning moon was partially visible, clouds were chasing across the sky obscuring its dim glow.Steve took a slow breath in and exhaled trying to settle his nerves. The last time he’d been in the backyard and thought he’d heard something it had been Billy.

“Billy?” Steve said peering around and walking to the edge of the property line trying to see into the wooded area. “Billy?” He repeated, but was only met with silence.Steve heard the wind whipping through the trees rattling their spindly limbs like dry bones and then the icy gale hit him, slicing through the fibers of his clothes and raising gooseflesh all over him. “Shit.” Steve turned and headed back inside. He told himself whatever he’d heard it wasn’t Billy, it was just the wind, or the trees or maybe the asshole owls.

Steve went up the stairs taking two at time as quietly as he could, hoping his parents didn’t hear him and either demand his company or give him another stupid chore. He made it safely into his room and shut the door noiselessly. He turned around and there standing with his arms folded was Billy standing stock-still, his eyes shadowed by the bill of his baseball hat. Steve jumped and then laughed softly and then felt the laugh die in his throat. Billy wasn’t smiling. He looked furious.

“Are you okay, I called you almost an hour ago.” Steve stepped forward and gently touched his fingers to Billy’s elbow. “How did you get in here?”

“I climbed in the window.”

“Jesus, nice job, Spider-Man.” Steve turned looking at his window wondering how the hell Billy had managed it.

“Not that one,” Billy said, “The one on the side of the house, by the trash cans.”

“Oh, oh. When?” Steve frowned baffled by Billy’s behavior and mood.

“Just a few minutes ago.” Billy said impatiently.

“Billy my parents are home, you could have really freaked them out. My dad would call the cops in a heartbeat.”

“So, how was it?” Billy asked.

“Dinner?” Steve looked him still confused.

“No, not dinner. Your little date with Danny.”

“What? I didn’t,” Steve shook his head.

“You didn’t what? I saw the two of you,” Billy stepped forward his chest bumping Steve’s.

“Billy.” Steve said in a warning tone.

“Billy what?” Billy said his voice a growl.

  
“I gave him a ride home, okay? He asked me to take him home, that’s it.” Steve shook his head.

“So you two just had a sweet little tickle fight in the parking lot before you went tearing off the side of the curb to find a secluded corner, where’d you go the quarry? All the way to Lake Jordan? Did he blow you?” Billy’s voice was getting louder, he shoved Steve in the chest, but Steve didn’t budge, his feet were firmly planted.

“Listen to me Billy, and listen good.” Steve said his voice low and calm, “He made a move, alright? I told him no, he gave up.” Steve’s eyes grew dark and intense, he stepped forward his nose almost touching Billy’s. “I took him home, all the way across town, and then I called you when I got home, and you didn’t answer so I didn’t have a chance to tell you about it. I know what you think you saw but you’re wrong, and if you ever shove me again, this,” Steve drew in a breath and said in a rush, “this isn’t going to work.”

Billy’s eyes flashed and he clenched his jaw.

“You’re going to have to learn to trust me.” Steve said, “I would never mess around with anyone, not some guy and not some girl. Do you hear me?” Steve’s voice cracked, his eyes were shining. “Because I love you.”

Billy staggered back and sat on the edge of Steve’s bed, like he’d received aphysical blow. He scrubbed his hands over his face, and shook his head and then nodded as if he were conducting a silent argument.

“I just fucked it all up.” He blurted and then laughed covering his mouth.

Steve exhaled, he turned away and wiped the corner of his eye and then looked back at Billy, “Why didn’t you come to the car?” He knelt in front of Billy trying to see his face, but Billy turned away. “When you saw me with Danny in the parking lot?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt if that’s what you wanted,” Billy reached up and took off his ball cap, he ran his hand over his loose wild curls.

“I do not want Danny.” Steve shook his head. 

“How would I know,” Billy paused and drew a quivering breath, “Maybe you just want someone to fuck.”

“What?” Steve stood up and then sat beside Billy and folded an arm around his waist, all the hostility that had been rolling off him in waves was gone, Billy seemed diminished and very, very sad.

Billy drew a breath and cleared his throat roughly, “Right when he came outside, Danny with his squinty eyes and his fucking cheesy little grin, just before that, you got really quiet and when I asked you why you were so quiet,you had just started saying how you were thinking about us and how we haven’t fucked.”  
  
“Billy, seriously? That’s not what I was going to say. I was going to say that we haven’t been dating for very long, but it just feels so right.”

Billy sat beside Steve for a long span of time, wordlessly staring down at his ball cap in his hands. Steve said nothing, just rested his head on Billy’s shoulder and kept his arm around his waist.

“Have you ever heard of the Shadow-Self?” Billy asked finally breaking the silence.

“No.” Steve answered softly.

“My shrink told me about it.” Billy whispered, “It’s the part of yourself that’s so awful that you hide it from yourself subconsciously and then when you least expect it, it tries to undo all the good things in your life, because it’s the part of you that believes you don’t deserve anything good… I’m really tired of all these shadows.”

Steve reached over and cupped his hand to Billy’s jaw and turned his face and kissed him gently. HIs lips were damp and salty. Steve pressed his temple to Billy’s, “Hey, we’re okay, you and me, we’re okay. Whatever we’ve got, it’s really, really good and, it’s going to get even better, as long as you trust me. I don’t want to fuck someone else, and if we just keep things the way they are, that’s fine by me. Okay?” Steve dragged his thumb under Billy’s eye wiping away a tear.

“I shouldn’t have shoved you.” Billy said softly, “Swear I’m turning into my old man.”

“No you’re not.” Steve shook his head and kissed him quickly, “You’re a million times better than him.”

Billy lifted his eyes to Steve and saw that he was crying too. “Stop that.” Billy said softly and ran his palm roughly over Steve’s cheek.

Steve snorted a laugh, “Okay, okay.” He turned his face away, “are you trying to wipe my face or shove me off the bed.”

“Sorry.” Billy said with a little smirk.

“I don’t think you are,” Steve smiled looking at Billy, “Make it up to me, spend the night? I’ll sneak you out in the morning, or we can wait till they’re both gone for the day, whatever you want. Just stay.”

Billy nodded.

“You never ever need to be jealous of anyone. Okay?”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because, I feel it, like right here,” Steve touched his chest, “in my heart.”

“You’re so fucking cheesy.” Billy said.

********

Steve rolled up a towel and stuffed it along the bottom of his door, opened up the windows and lit up a joint to share with Billy. The pair of them lay side by side in Steve’s wide soft bed.

Billy hadn’t smoked pot since before _the incident of 85_. After a few drags Billy felt like he’d ran a marathon, his body was heavy and he was so very very tired, he also felt relieved and more than a little bit foolish. He took a long drag off the joint, and held it in his lungs. He wondered how it was possible that Steve wasn’t bored with him, and marveled at the fact that Steve hadn’t punched him, or dumped him after the shit he’d pulled earlier that night.

Steve scooted closer to Billy and gestured with his fingers for Billy to exhale. Billy complied and blew a steady slow stream into Steve’s parted lips and watched Steve inhale deeply. Steve leaned forward catching Billy’s lips in his own, he exhaled smoke through his nose while they kissed.

Billy leaned back their lips parting wetly, “I never would have guessed you were so good at that.”

“What, smoking pot?” Steve chuckled.

“No.” Billy rested his eyes and shook his head side to side slowly, “Well that too, but I was thinking about the kissing.”

“They didn’t call me King Steve for nothing baby,” Steve said, “and whenever you’re ready, I’m gonna make you feel like the King.”

Billy chuckled, “I don’t know what you’re saying,”, his voice was husky from smoking, he raised a finger pausing and pursed his lips in thought, “because I’m _so_ high… but keep saying it.”

“Yeah.” Steve nodded and dropped the remaining end of the joint in a coffee cup by his bed, “Me too.” He squeezed Billy close. “Your voice is like so hot, like off the charts sexy.” Steve mumbled nestling closer and kissing Billy’s cheek, and could feel Billy smiling in the dark.

The two of them stayed up late, whispering and laughing quietly in Steve’s bed. Steve pulled Billy in his arms and played with his mop of golden curls. Billy let him and rambled about his favorite beach in San Diego, a place called La Jolla, saying the waves were clean and fast. Steve nodded listening, he listened as Billy complained about not having a car, and what a pain in the ass Max was, and that now they both had to help her build her half-pipe come the spring, because she’d found other dumb kids that wanted to pitch in cash to get it done, and hadn’t that been his idea? Steve shrugged, holding his tongue just waiting for Billy to babble some more.

“Tell Danny if he touches you again I’m gonna punch his stupid little baby face in, I’m gonna pulp it, he’s gonna look like mashed potatoes with ketchup when I’m done with him, he’s gonna be spitting out teeth and shitting blood, I will destroy,” Billy stopped short when Steve kissed him to silence him. The boys lazily made out till sleep over took them.

**Author's Note:**

> This one isn't as Halloween-ish as I'd like it to be but I really fixated on the whole idea of the Shadow-self and had to go with it. The story I'm posting tomorrow will be titled 'Samhain' and will be very fluffy! *Gasp!*
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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